By Robert Israel

Is it possible for an outstanding actress to achieve similar heights as a playwright? The answer is yes, but with reservations.

Laughs in Spanish, by Alexis Scheer. Directed by Mariela López-Ponce. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Co., Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St. at the Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA, through Oct. 12.

From left: Rebekah Rae Robles and Luz Lopez in the SpeakEasy Stage production of Laughs in Spanish. Photo: Nile Scott Studios

Flash back: Alexis Scheer performs in an Off the Grid Theater Co. production at the Calderwood in Sara Kane’s Blasted, spurring me to award the show a “Best of 2016” citation for this magazine. Under John Kuntz’s direction, the ensemble cast is outstanding, but Scheer stands out for her ability to channel her character’s wily and unsettling femininity with such manipulative force that she grabs hold of the audience’s collective throats, never relinquishing her grip until the final curtain.

Flash forward: Eight years later, Scheer is onstage again in Boston, this time as a playwright. The work being presented at SpeakEasy Stage Co. is not gut-wrenching drama, but a one-act comedy, Laughs in Spanish, again at the Calderwood.

Is it possible for an outstanding actress to achieve similar heights as a playwright? The answer is yes, but with reservations.

My principal reservation is with director Mariela López-Ponce who, in her director’s note in the SpeakEasy Playbill, insists that the play is “hilariously funny.” The audience can be forgiven assuming what is to come will be a non-stop laugh-fest. But that’s simply not the case. The play does supply moments of hilarity. But the script offers, in equal measure, scenes of human pathos and heartfelt angst as it focuses on a tense Mother and Child Reunion (to borrow Paul Simon’s song title), as well as a range other demanding issues, including pregnancy (leading two characters to ponder whether or not they should tie a marital knot). All of these conflicts accompany a gallery opening that poses such challenges as coming up with a guest list, a food order, and (appropriate) decorations.

Set during Art Basel, an international festival where roving throngs view original artworks at numerous galleries in Miami Beach, Fla., the play, beginning with its first scene, is a study in faux hysteria. The paintings have been stolen! But the five member cast seems to have other matters (aforementioned) in front of their minds. The audience is left to suspend disbelief about the theft and wait for more clues. It’s a tall order. López-Ponce doesn’t quite manage to pull the cast together in a way that makes the set-up believable. The result is a prevailing sense of lugubriousness, made more discomforting by Erik D. Diaz’s awkward set design that splits the action into two playing areas that fail to conjoin.

Ultimately, what makes the play work are the performances. As gallery director Mari, Rebekah Rae Robles maintains a sweetness that rises above various situational dilemmas: it pulls others in to help her in her hours of need. Daniel Rios, Jr., his rich baritone rising about the high-pitched din, exudes a charm that is as compelling as it is impish. I was particularly impressed with Brogan Nelson as Jenny, who cuts the rug with a raucous dance routine and, given time alone in the split set as the main action is hums along on stage left, proves to be an exceptional pantomimist, futzing with props that draw on her gift for deft comic timing. And Paola Ferrer, as Mari’s mother Estella, memorably commands the spotlight during a soliloquy that is profoundly tender.

With a bit of housekeeping, the numerous instances of props tumbling (accidently?) earthward could be corrected, its overall comedic timing tightened. And the action needs to be brought closer to the audience, away from the split stage. The gaps between the two playing spaces should be closed-up, or even eliminated. Laughs in Spanish contains much to admire. The SpeakEasy Stage Co. production has charm and color and music and laughter, a winning combo. The playwright’s talent is abundant; the script would be considerably improved if it would only get out of its own way. This theatrical Mulligan’s Stew, with its hefty pinches of spirit and spunk, will become even more delicious — with changes in the recipe.

Robert Israel, an Arts Fuse contributor since 2013, can be reached at risrael_97@yahoo.com.